William Appleby started his empire as a coach operator, ice cream manufacturer & retailer in 1913 at the Village Store in Conisholme which is where the offices remain to this day.
The business eventually passed to Ron Appleby, and ultimately, in the 1970's, to Stuart Appleby and his cousin Monica Stones.
In the early 1980's the de-regulation of the coaching industry meant that Applebys could start to operate their own coach tour programme, which Stuart & Monica built up between them from zero to 30,000 passengers in ten years. Not bad for rural Lincolnshire!

In November 2000 Bowen Travel Group purchased the Coach Tour Operation of Applebys, with Monica staying on as General Manager. Monica Stones was subsequently appointed Managing Director of the Bowen Travel Tours & Groups Division in March 2006.